10 acres of land are allocated to continue in agricultural research until at least 2022. But what will be the future of the Tract after 2022? Development pressures have largely won over priority of the Gill Tract throughout the decades with consideration to the change in size of the intact farmland at the Gill Tract over time.

Although the original Gill Tract was acquired for recreational purposes, a separate piece of land called the Schmidt Tract (which was acquired with tax dollars for agricultural purposes) was absorbed into the Gill Tract in 1940 to continue agricultural research. The amount of land set aside for the Experiment Station for Biological Controls in 1944 was 37.6 acres, but the entirety of this promise was never realized due to the need for wartime housing during WWII which took over 19 acres. Although it can be argued that all 104 acres were not originally intended for agricultural uses, there is a need to consider the degree to which this highly arable piece of land has been developed over time and then consider the best use of this site beyond 2022.

                                                                                                                                     scroll through the images to experience the change.